DOG DAYS ARE OVER
by MistressLynell
Summary: Set after 4x23 of TVD Klaus has always prided himself on being the strongest creature in existence. However, it doesn't take long for Marcel to discover each and everyone of the infamous Original hybrid's weaknesses and exploit them to his full capacity. 'KALIJAH,' 'KLAROLINE,' 'DELENA' Rated 'T' until later chapters.
1. PROLOGUE

**THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER**

PROLOGUE

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_Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father._

_Run for your children, for your sister and brother._

_Leave all your love and your longing behind; _

_You can't carry them with you if you want to survive._

"Dog Days Are Over" ~ Florence + The Machine

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**Chilhowie, VA**

May 17th, 2011

David and Janet Silverman were not the "perfect" couple, but they were pretty damn close. They'd been married for almost eighteen years now and in that time they'd had three beautiful children and had chosen to settle down in the same small Virginian town that David had grown up in. In fact, they were heading home from their eldest son's basketball game (their son had decided that he wanted to spend the night at a friend's house) and both were remarking that being up past 10PM was a rarity for them, even on a Friday night. David's left hand was on the leather-clad steering wheel of their silver SUV, his right hand curled within that of his wife's as he maneuvered around the slight curves of the interstate that was their quickest shot to home and proved less dangerous when it came to hitting a deer or any other wayward nocturnal creature. The high beams were on and had been for a while. Janet was just about to state that the road seemed eerily empty for this time of night, but was cut off by the sight of a car up ahead with its right side tires stuck in a ditch.

"David, watch out!" Janet exclaimed as she noticed that the driver's side door was still open. Given that David was traveling in the left lane (the "slow lane" as their son had so condescendingly called it), the door of the car would most certainly clip their SUV. Slamming on his brakes, David unhinged his hand from his wife's to jerk his arm out against her stomach and her chest in attempt to keep her from slamming into the dashboard. Janet caught herself and then looked up to her husband with shock. "Why didn't you just swerve?!" she chided as she did her best to regain composure and regulate her heartbeat.

David pulled over behind the car and his wife watched the direction of his gaze. Her husband was not looking at the car, but instead had caught sight of something a bit _more_ disturbing. With the headlights now shining at the right angle, Janet was able to see a petite figure leaning over the guard rail a few paces away from the broken down sports car. Narrowing her eyes, Janet tried to grasp some sort of understanding about what the woman (no man could have ever been that small or curvaceous) was doing. After a few seconds the girl heaved forward and a dark liquid spewed from her lips and Janet's eyes widened. David turned off the radio and made to unfasten his seatbelt. "Janet," he said sternly. "Stay in the car and call 9-1-1. Looks like we found someone who had one too many drinks at a party."

"Where are you going?" Janet inquired as she pulled out her purse to retrieve the small black cellular device.

Opening his door, David ran a hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and blinked his blue-green eyes. "I'm going to see if she needs help. Alcohol poisoning has killed one too many kids in this area this year alone. Tell the operator to send help on I-81 Northbound, mile marker 10. They'll be able to see us from a mile away." David was a doctor and he had seen many cases of this come through his emergency room. In a small town like this, very little happened in the way of tragedy outside of kids getting too rowdy and attempting stupid things or the random animal attack here and there. David had a sense of duty to help those who were in need. Janet had grown used to her husband's habit of never leaving anyone unattended, but she was less than thrilled that her husband was getting out of their safe, warm vehicle on a solemn road to help a stranger whom they'd never even _seen_ before. Still, the woman with the wrinkled eyes and dyed-brown hair did as her husband said, all the while watching through the windshield as David approached the young woman.

As he moved towards the vomiting woman, David took off his jacket that was representative of his son's school colors. He came upon her like someone would a wounded and wild animal; scared if he moved too fast that she would take off into the woods. Now all but next to her, David could see the outline of the woman's petite frame and noticed that she was actually very attractive, but looked like she wasn't yet out of her teenage years. "Are you alright? How much have you had to drink?" David asked as he moved yet another step closer to her. As he shifted his footing, light from the headlights of his vehicle shone around him and hit the young woman directly on the face. Fear sprang up in David's chest as he realized that the girl was not just vomiting – she was vomiting _blood_. Torrents of it fell from her now-stained lips, falling down her chin and her chest and even staining the tips of her long chestnut-brown hair. "Oh my God," he whispered as he rushed her now, throwing his jacket over her shoulders and holding on her hair as she threw up another long spout of blood on the damp grass below. She coughed and then tried to push him away, but he wouldn't hear of it. "What happened to you?" he demanded as she tried to wave him off. "Were you hurt? Did someone attack you?" His hands began to wander about her torso and chest to try to find an open wound, but his search was fruitless. That only meant one thing – _internal bleeding_. "JANET! Did you-"

"They're coming!" his wife answered before he finished his sentence (as was so often the case.) "They promised to be here soon! Is she okay?!"

Despite being the wife of a doctor and the mother of three rambunctious boys, Janet had a queasy stomach and a habit of getting faint and nauseous when subjected to the sight of too much blood or gore. David could remember their attempt to watch _The Bourne Identity_ movie and that had been too much for his beloved. She'd never be able to handle this. "She's fine! Just make sure you flag down the ambulance just in case!" David answered. He then grunted as the girl in his arms fell limp and he was forced to fall to the ground with her, holding her against his chest. This angle was perfect for him to inspect her head and force open her eyes to see if they would dilate properly. "Come on hunny," he pleaded as he tried to get a response from the young woman. "Stay with me. Help is on its way." He brushed the dark curls out of the girl's face and she opened her eyes a bit to look at him, giving the doctor a great sense of relief.

"You need to run…"

The relief washed away as David took in her words, his eyes narrowing in speculation. "What?"

"He's coming," the girl rasped out. "You need to run."

"No one is coming," David assured her. "It's okay. I've got you and help is on its way. What is your name?" He got no response. The girl fell completely limp in his arms and her face grew so pale that David would have been sure she was dead if he couldn't feel her gentle intakes of breath against the hands he had placed to her spine. "Shit…" he muttered out-of-character (church going people such as him and his family rarely cursed) and he looked up to his SUV to check the status with his wife. To his surprise, though, Janet wasn't there. Looking around wildly, David's heart began to beat hard in his chest. "JANET?!" he called out into the night. "JANET?! WHERE DID YOU GO?!"

No response.

Forcing himself to be as gentle as possible, David rested the unconscious woman in his arms down to the ground and stood up to get a better view of the surrounding area. Janet was nowhere to be seen. "Janet?!" he called out again, his voice shaking with the effort. "Sweetheart?!" He turned around to look up the road in the direction they were heading, and nearly fell back when a figure stood directly in front of him. The man was young, lean, and had a terrible glint in his eye that told David that he may have just found out who it was he was supposed to be running from, as per the young girl's instructions. Furrowing his brows, David knew that the man before him was _at least_ fifteen years his junior, but that David had a good fifty or sixty pounds on the boy. "Who are you?" he ground out, immediately on the defensive.

The man's face had been passive up until that moment. Now his lips upturned into a vicious smile and his features took on an even more wolf-like appearance. "You should have listened to the girl, mate, and run when you had the chance."

"Where's my _wife_?!" David shot back, his anxiety rising and his heart beating faster and faster.

The stranger just looked up above them at the tree line. "No worries. She's _hanging_ around here somewhere, I assure you."

David knew that taking his eyes off of the stranger was the wrong move, but he couldn't help but tip his head up to look in the direction of the overreaching trees on either side of the interstate. It was in that moment that he felt a rush of cool air, hands on his neck, and a pair of sharp teeth slice down into his right common carotid artery… and then he felt nothing at all.

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The limp body of David Silverman fell to the ground in an undignified heap. The placement of his body was poetically in sync with that of his wife which hung a few feet above from a tree, head bent at an unnatural angle and blood dropping from her neck.

Grass crunching under his feet, the stranger stood in the light of David and Janet's still-running SUV and looked down at the girl who was fighting to come back to consciousness. Blood dribbled down the corner of her lips and across her cheek, tears after the same fashion from her eyes. Crouching down next to her, the menacing man wiped a few strands of dark hair from her forehead before tilting her chin up so that she was looking at him. "Tag… You're it," she muttered pathetically, earning nothing but a smirk from the man. He huffed a bit of amused air before he picked her up bridal style and ignored her pathetic attempts to free herself from him.

"Don't resist this, love," he murmured down against her ear as he commandeered the SUV for him and his travelling companion. "You're just going to _love_ your new home." He put the engine in drive before speeding off on the interstate, the sound of ambulance sirens blaring as he passed the emergency vehicle on its way to its destination.

The girl said nothing in response. She simply coughed weakly once more, blood splattering the dashboard that Janet Silverman had _just_ been clinging on to six minutes before hand… And then she lost consciousness.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Okay. Okay. Yes, for those of you who follow me, I _did_ delete "REFUGE FOR A RECLUSE." For some reason the motivation behind that story was just lost and I couldn't see myself carrying on with it. This story has already gleaned a plot that I think I'll be much more dedicated to. Still with the 'Kalijah' elements in the future, but with a bit of 'Delena' and 'Datherine' _and_ 'Klaroline' just to make everyone happy!

Sit back and enjoy. I hope to be updating at least once a week.

As always – **Reviews are appreciated. **

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**PREVIEW FOR CHAPTER 1 – BABY BOOM**

"_I don't need Katerina to live forever, Elijah." The Hybrid had a stony look of certainty on his face. He crossed over to his desk where he picked up a manila folder that was thick with papers and crossed the room, handing it to his older brother. Elijah's eyes didn't leave Klaus', even after taking the heavy folder full of documentation. "Just her bloodline." _


	2. Chapter 1: BABY BOOM

**THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER **

CHAPTER I

BABY BOOM

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_Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city._

~George Burns

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**New Orléans, Louisiana **

September 10th, 2011

Despite that the street merchants were all peddling the beginning of their fall merchandise, the heat and humidity of the city wouldn't subside for another month or so. Sure, some nights were a bit more timid, but the days were still brutal. Being five months pregnant and miserable just in _general_, Hayley tended to stick indoors when the sun was high in the sky. Thanks to the majority of the house's inhabitants being vampires, no one really noticed that the AC was on full blast most of the the time. It was just how the werewolf liked it; it calmed her nausea and it helped ease her aching and swollen joints. Pregnancy _sucked_ for the young woman – especially a pregnancy that had more mystical qualities than it did normal ones. Hayley had been around women of her kind when they were pregnant; she had _thought_ that she had a good grasp on what it all meant.

She had been wrong.

Outside of an even more ferocious temper and some severe cases of "cabin fever," female _loup-garoux_ tended to have a pretty "normal" pregnancy. The gestation period had lasted nine months and the labor was the same as any other delivery (though rarely done in a hospital just _in case_ something was "off" about their baby.) Hayley had been expecting the same of this pregnancy despite that the father of the little spawn in her womb was an ancient half-vampire, half-werewolf super creature. What she'd _gotten_ however was a baby that seemed to be gestating much more quickly than her kind normally did. She was also plagued with severe cravings for the oddest things, once of which was _blood_. Werewolves didn't crave the sticky red life force unless they had shifted into their wolf form and therefore Hayley didn't know which was making her more ill – the morning sickness or her baby's need for blood. In any case, the odd and uncomfortable feeling of vertigo and nausea had kept her stuck in the Mikaelson manor on one of the large couches in the rarely used parlor. She lay under a vent which was expelling frosty air upon her sweat-slicked skin and just breathed deeply in and out, hoping that soon the feeling would pass.

Werewolves didn't shift during their pregnancies, but Hayley was beginning to think she would have preferred changing once a month over _this_ feeling – whatever it was.

"Hayley."

A polite voice called the werewolf out of her reverie and she opened her eyes and waiting for the ceiling to come into focus before she tilted her head back down to look at the familiar figure standing in the doorway. Forcing a smile on her face, Hayley shifted on the couch with her _enormous_ stomach and laid an arm across it. Though her head was spinning and she felt like she might pass out from the sensation, she _refused_ to let on about her state. Ever since she'd come to live with the Original family, everything that she said or she did was blown out of proportion. The slightest pain or discomfort had been exasperated and the witches were called in if Hayley even _sneezed_. After a fight and a half with Klaus, Hayley had been "persuaded" into leaving her job at the local bar that she'd begun working at. (By persuaded, it meant that Klaus had threatened to kill each one of her co-workers and patrons. _'I don't see the sudden deaths of nightly patrons being too good for business…' _He had seethed to her.) So, for all intents and purposes, Hayley was a prisoner here in the Original's home: A very hot, very uncomfortable, very _pregnant_ prisoner. The only person who didn't make her feel as such was the man she'd found herself to be in the company of right now.

"Elijah…" she replied in the lightest tone she could find. "How are you doing, handsome?"

Dressed to the nines in his regular business-like attire, Elijah was the model of dignity. His hair was perfectly combed and his face neatly shaven. There was no sense of "disheveled" about the man and Hayley had to wonder how – even for a vampire – someone could keep themselves in such a pristine state. Neither Rebekah nor Klaus had been able to achieve such perfection; Hayley had seen the two younger siblings as a mess of hair and rumpled clothing on more than one occasion during her stint here. It made her feel a little more comfortable, surprisingly, as Hayley had never been able to keep up any kind of classy or dignified appearance no matter _how_ hard she'd tried.

Taking a step into the room further, Elijah's eyes flicked from the vent above her before his dark gaze met her sultry green one. "What… are you doing?"

"Resting," she answered a bit too quickly. Elijah's eyes narrowed.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm just fine." Hayley tempered her voice, trying to be more convincing. She gave a nonchalant wave of her hand. "Just a little _warm_. Needed to cool off a bit."

Elijah let out a soft "hmm" and Hayley's heartbeat quickened a bit. These were the times when the young woman had to actively remind herself that Elijah was not all too concerned with _her_ well-being outside of how it affected his future niece or nephew (no modern technology or witchcraft had yet allowed them to figure out if it was going to be a girl or a boy.) Therefore, Hayley tried not to take his look of concern to heart. Though it had not been said, the fact that she would be useless and disposable once she gave birth to the Original miracle baby hung heavy in the air. Keeping her gaze light and direct despite her depressing thoughts, Hayley tilted her head a bit as if to ask if there was anything else that the vampire might need. Though she enjoyed Elijah's company (maybe a little _too_ much given that she was having his _brother's_ baby), Hayley really wanted nothing more but to crawl up and take a nap.

The look that the werewolf received from the Original let her know that she _may_ not have been off the hook that easy. However, a bittersweet distraction came from behind Elijah in the hallway. The quick, determined stepping of shoe-clad feet caught both of their attention and Elijah turned as Hayley tilted her head to see around him. The frown on her face would have been noticed if Elijah had ever turned back to look at her. He didn't. "I'll send Rebekah to check on you in a bit," the Original brother murmured before he stepped back out of the parlor and towards the dark-wooded panel hallway.

Hayley had wanted a distraction, yes… but not in the form of _her_. But she guessed beggars couldn't be choosers.

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Katherine Pierce _hated_ captivity. The entire concept of it scared her to near death (but never bringing her the sweet release). The idea of not being able to go where she pleased, do what she wanted, see who she'd like to visit… It was suffocating. The Petrova could literally _feel_ herself deteriorating – aging away into nothing. Her current situation had brought upon a sense of sickness and misery that could not be explained away by the plethora of drugs that pumped through her system as she underwent immunization after immunization at the hands of her "attendants." No. This sense of dis-attachment and depression came solely from her circumstances.

Small, pale fingers picked at the bandage on her arm absent-mindedly as she wandered with no real sense of direction down the hallway. Her head felt light, but her feet felt heavy. The nurse had asked if Katherine had eaten properly before today's "donation," and Katherine had answered affirmatively. Katherine had _lied_. Her lack of nourishment and sleep added to the haziness the doppelganger was facing, and it was for this reason that she almost barreled straight into the finely-dressed man as he stepped right in front of her in the old, incense-laden vestibule. Catching herself before she had an embarrassing mishap, Katherine's finger fell from the sticky bandage on her left arm and her eyes held a blank expression as she took in the light of her former-lover (now solely known as just one of her _captors_.)

Elijah's eyes seared into hers, making her uncomfortable. Katherine shifted noticeably and the now-useless _lapis_ _lazuli _bracelet jangled as she did so. For a moment, the doppelganger actually thought that Elijah might _speak_ to her at some sort of length, but she was quickly disappointed.

"Klaus has been looking for you."

Of course. Katherine didn't even try to hide the disappointment that fell upon her face like a shadow. She averted her eyes away from the Original brother and sighed. "Can it wait until I've got something to eat?" she huffed. "Been kind of a _draining_ day." The pun was intended and Katherine held out her bandaged arm, littered with track marks, for emphasis. Elijah, thankfully, seemed to get her point and didn't say anything further. Due to Klaus' compulsion, Katherine would have been forced to listen to any direct order from Elijah, Rebekah, and Klaus himself (Hayley _had_ been included in that grouping until she'd taken advantage of the situation and Elijah had persuaded Klaus to make the torture stop.) Elijah – in the brief moments he shared with Katherine – had been _very_ careful not to give any direct orders to the Petrova. It was a small comfort that had been easily outweighed by his allowing Klaus to confine her such as he had.

Heels clacking against the hardwood floor caught both Elijah and Katherine's attention. The Original brother's head lifted slowly and Katherine turned around, forcing herself to suppress a groan. A denim-clad Rebekah came stepping down the hall towards them, her lips in a tight line. Katherine knew that look – _Something_ had pissed the Original sister off. Given Rebekah's "power" over Katherine due to Klaus' compulsion, Katherine couldn't help but think how this bad mood of the blonde bombshell was going to affect _her_ as Rebekah liked to take her anger (over her brothers, over her lovers, over her lip gloss rolling under the refrigerator – anything really) on the defenseless doppelganger. Rebekah did as such with no guilt, either; it was a skill that Katherine both admired and loathed about the other female.

"'Lijah," the blonde complained, her eyes trained on her brother's. In her heels, Rebekah stood at Elijah's height and a good couple of inches about Katherine. Katherine felt like she was just a spec of dust when two Originals were speaking in front of her. "We need to talk. What is this about _my_ taking Hayley out today? Is Niklaus out of his ever-loving mind?! Marcel is-" Rebekah paused, her blue gaze falling to Katherine as if though she had just recognized the brunette was there. "Go. Away. …Now."

Katherine had never been more pleased to listen to a command before. She ignored Elijah's look of concern and headed up the hallway. As long as she avoided Klaus and Rebekah, then she wouldn't have to worry about the hybrid any time soon.

"I CAN HERE YOU, YOU KNOW?!" Hayley called out from her spot in the parlor. "Pregnancy doesn't exactly _dull_ the hearing sense!"

Katherine escaped as the bickering escalated, only vaguely imagining Elijah's look of pure consternation as he was once again forced to play mediator.

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"She's dying."

The statement was simple, said with no emotion.

Elijah's lips slightly parted as he watched the back of his half-brother. Klaus' gaze was set out the large window which overlooked Bourbon Street, his head resting against an arm that was raised and leaning against the glass. "Every day, 'Lijah, she gets closer and closer to death."

"Well there's nothing to be done about that," Elijah murmured as he continued to just watch his brother, silently pondering what could be going through the Hybrid's mind. Though Elijah was thankful that Klaus' need for him had dragged him out of the heated argument between Hayley and Rebekah, he wasn't quite sure that the quiet confines of his brother's study would prove to be more comfortable. Thinking he was to be discussing the matters of Marcel's rule over the city, the witches' growing anxiousness, or Hayley's pregnancy, Elijah had been surprised that the subject of conversation was Katerina. Klaus had barely spoken the situation since the May morning when he'd arrived with the half-dead _human_ doppelganger in tow. What's done was done – Katherine was here (whether he or she liked it or not) and she would continue to be contained here until she proved no further use. Apparently, the deadline for Katherine's usefulness was her death, if Elijah was interpreting this conversation correctly. Careful to not show any emotion over the topic, Elijah honed in his millennium-old skill of keeping his face impassive and unreadable. "She's human. Humans die."

Klaus was silent for a long moment. "But with her dies the Petrova bloodline and my ability to make hybrids."

This was fact, pure and simple. Elijah couldn't share in his brother's concern, but he could understand it. Klaus' ability to make hybrids once again had made a considerable difference in the balance of power; not only in New Orléans, but in the supernatural community . With Katerina's blood, Klaus had amassed an army of sired hybrids that did his bidding. They worked for him, they _fought_ for him. With the induction of this species in to the Louisiana cities and bayous, Marcel's forces had become fleeting. It had instigated a war within the city, but the Original family had – unsurprisingly to any – come out on top. The issue now was Marcel's tight-knit community of vampires that had gone into hiding and a special band of witches that the self-proclaimed King of New Orléans had at his beckoned call. These witches were powerful and had depleted Klaus' hybrid clan by nearly 75% in just one night. He'd created more, of course.

The witches had killed them, too.

"I don't think the issue here, Klaus, is that you'll run out of Petrova blood. You should be more concerned about the fact that there seems to be less and less werewolves at your disposal to-"

"That's where you're wrong, brother," Niklaus interrupted. He turned now, facing Elijah with a fiendish grin. "Werewolves procreate." A fact they were _all_ well-aware of. "Their species will never become extinct. The doppelganger, however…"

"She will die." Elijah said the statement with no more emotion than Klaus had before. Klaus nodded.

"Humans are fragile things, 'Lijah. So very few make it through to their old age. Disease, violence, freak accidents… Any of which could claim a human's life without a moment's notice. Our dear, sweet Katerina is not immune to any of these things. I can't risk-"

"What is it you're suggesting, Klaus?" Elijah interjected, his patience with the subject growing thin. Though he'd put forth a considerable amount of effort to remain impassive about Katerina's presence in their house and the role she played in his brother's plan for supremacy did _not_ mean that the issue of her death was something he wanted to hear about in _any_ sense. Sometimes he wished that his brother and sister could get to the point in as little words as possible; their need for dramatic overtones played on Elijah's nerves frequently. "Unless you've found another way for a _human_ to live forever, this conversation is pointless."

"I don't _need_ Katerina to live forever, Elijah." The Hybrid had a stony look of certainty on his face. He crossed over to his desk where he picked up a manila folder that was thick with papers and crossed the room, handing it to his older brother. Elijah's eyes didn't leave Klaus', even after taking the heavy folder full of documentation. "Just her bloodline."

Confused, Elijah let his eyes drift from his brother's face down to the folder, which he opened and scanned the first page quickly. His eyes shot back up to Niklaus', lips still parted, as he tried to gauge his brother's seriousness on the issue.

"I thought it would be best that you picked," Klaus whispered lowly, placing a firm hand on Elijah's shoulder. "I'll expect your decision by Monday. The process starts on Thursday."

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Annoyance flickered through Rebekah's eyes as the sound of crinkling leather once again hit her ears. Her deep blue hues looked over the top of her magazine to watch as the werewolf girl shifted for what seemed to be the _thousandth_ time on the couch. Going back to reading the columns on the glossy pages, Rebekah spoke up with a bored tone. "If you keep moving about like that, your baby is going to come out even more distorted and ugly than my brother Kol was rumored to have. Knock it off."

"I can't help it," Hayley complained as she winced and slid a palm to her spine. "My back is _killing_ me. And I can't sit still to save my life."

"Want to bet?" Rebekah mumbled under her breath.

Hayley ignored her. "It's been like this all day. I'm hot and then I'm cold. There's this pain in my lower back and stomach and it just won't quit." Hayley could complain to Rebekah about these sorts of things because the blonde was less precocious about the pregnancy and tended not to overreact about every little pain Hayley endured. Though Rebekah was known to be just as excited for the birth of her niece or nephew, she and Hayley had a strained friendship. Both of them had obnoxious alpha-female complexes and the way that Niklaus had tended to bending over backwards for the wolf-girl had irked Rebekah. Not to mention, Hayley seemed to be a little too comfortable in her brothers' home for Rebekah's liking. It was very rare that the Original sister missed her chance to remind Hayley how futile she would be after the baby was born. Still, despite all of their bickering and their arguing, Hayley and Rebekah had formed some kind of bond or connection between the both of them. Neither would admit to liking the other one, but occasions such as this (where Rebekah would sit silently and banter with Hayley without being asked to do so) were not rare. "I think the baby's trying to kick its way out."

"Wouldn't you?" Rebekah mused, eyes still trained on the magazine. She sat in one of the oversized chairs of the parlor, her legs crossed in a casual fashion. "If it's anything like its father, that thing will end up chewing its way out of your womb in the middle of the night."

Because she was reading, Rebekah missed the look of terror that briefly flickered over Hayley's features. But Rebekah could feel the apprehension in the room grow and she sighed. "You think it will be born with fangs?" Hayley finally spoke up. "I mean… not teeth, but _fangs_?"

"If it is, I'm sure it will have a way to hide them," Rebekah answered in a huff. "Although, I'll admit to you, I have a poll going with the rest of the household and my money's on the fact that you'll be having a mermaid."

"A mermaid?" Hayley asked plainly. "Really? Could you come up with any more _ludicrous_ ideas?"

"You mean outside of a 1000 year old Hybrid knocking up a smart-mouthed, out-of-her-league werewolf from the wrong side of the tracks? No. That completely takes the cake on the _supernatural wonderment_ scale." Rebekah didn't miss a beat, looking for a way to change the topic and elicit a more submissive reaction from the pregnant girl. "I heard from Matt today."

The Original could tell she'd gleaned Hayley's attention from that little admission, but she continued on and pretended to read. Matt Donovan was of little concern to the werewolf, but Hayley was well-aware that the small town busboy was living in Tyler's house. She was also aware of the fact that Klaus had given Tyler Lockwood permission to come out of hiding and re-acclimate himself in the Mystic Falls community; moreover, Klaus had given the green light for Tyler to come home to _Caroline_. Despite the fact that Hayley was enamored with Elijah and had a budding relationship with Klaus, Tyler's name always brought a bit of unsettlement to the young woman. Rebekah enjoyed this fact, though she wasn't sure why. It probably stemmed from Rebekah's firm belief that Hayley wasn't good enough for _either _of her brothers and that she knew Hayley had tried on multiple occasions to contact Tyler. Whether it was due to Caroline's overbearing personality and jealousy or Tyler's hesitancy to have any connections to Klaus, Tyler Lockwood had ignored all attempts that Hayley had made.

"How is he doing?" Hayley asked with a little _too_ much casualty.

"He's good. Still living at the Lockwood mansion. Tyler, Elena, and Caroline have gone off to college and so he said the town's been _pretty_ quiet."

"Make you regret leaving?"

Rebekah huffed in amusement. "There's nothing I regret about leaving Mystic Falls. It took one world-wide trip to open my eyes and realize that small-town living wasn't for me, whether I was human or I wasn't. Now. Coming back here to deal with all my brothers'," she gave a pointed look to Hayley over her magazine, "_drama_, that's a decision I second guess daily."

Hayley bit at her lip and Rebekah could see the twisted emotions playing over her face. Rebekah knew that Tyler and Caroline were no longer together, but she had yet to make that known to the wolf-girl. It brought her a sick sense of satisfaction to see Hayley deal with jealousy. The werewolf had the same look on her face that she did when she saw the small glances of longing and love that Elijah gave to Katherine Pierce when he thought that no one was looking. The same look tended to cross Hayley's features when the subject of Caroline Forbes was brought up in Klaus' presence. Maybe _that's_ what Rebekah and Hayley had really bonded over; they were both well aware of how it felt when every man in your life wanted anyone but you. The Original was _still_ a little scorned over her loss of Stefan Salvatore.

"You could always leave."

"I could," Rebekah answered. Hayley shifted on the couch once more and Rebekah went back to looking at her magazine. "But I've lived a thousand years and all I've ever wanted was a family of my own. I guess being a part of Niklaus' is second best to that." A small _'oof'_ could be heard from Hayley's corner and Rebekah sighed. "Really, Hayley, if you're _that_ uncomfortable, then why don't you-"

Rebekah was cut off by a sickening, wet smell. Her eyes darted from her magazine and focused in on Hayley immediately. The werewolf's large green eyes were wide and her fingers were held in front of her face, glistening with a slick liquid. The same liquid was permeating the _loup-garou_'s pants, the glossy wetness sliding down the leather of the couch slowly. "Oh my God…" Hayley muttered as Rebekah stared at her with shock. "I think… I think my water just broke!"

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Niklaus Mikaelson had always been an emotive man. He knew how to show anger and he knew how to show force; he was acutely aware that the right reaction to a situation could make all the difference. He was strong and he had seen it all, or so he thought. There was _nothing_ that the infamous Original hybrid could not handle. …Except for maybe this. As he scrambled about in the house, trying to find all that had been prepared for this situation, Klaus could be referred to easily as a "mess." It wasn't until Elijah had stepped in and helped the bumbling hybrid that Klaus caught his needless breath and began thinking more clearly. He ordered Rebekah to find one of the hybrids to ready the car and then he scooped Hayley up in his arms and rushed for the door as she wriggled about in his arms, breathing heavily. Elijah followed behind with the bags that Klaus had shoved haphazardly in his arms and made his own orders to the hybrid servants of the house to keep everything on lockdown.

"Does it hurt?" Rebekah asked incredulously as Klaus lowered Hayley down in the middle set of seats of the black SUV. Rebekah was in the front seat, looking between the driver and passenger side with her blue-eyes still wide.

Hayley shook her head. "No. Not… not _yet_," she groaned as she felt the sick pressure building in her spine. Klaus had the good enough sense to help her change into a new pair of pants for comfort before they'd left, but now he was failing to see the point as he crawled into the SUV next to her and supported her shoulder against his own. "But I guess all these years changing kind of prepared me for _this_," she bit out, a contraction taking hold as she spoke.

"Just breathe, sweetheart," Klaus said in the least-demanding tone that he could manage. He glanced up to Rebekah and his eyes darkened. "Turn around, Rebekah. And Elijah – _drive_."

Elijah maneuvered the car easily out onto the street without a moment's hesitation. Hayley grimaced as he swerved in and out of traffic, making even the most agile of the vampire race jostle around in their seats. Still, she didn't panic. If anyone was going to get them to their designated hospital safely, it was going to be Elijah. Absent-mindedly, Klaus ran a thumb along Hayley's bare shoulder as he looked from her to out the window.

This moment was here whether any of them were ready or not.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Chapter One is complete. I know it's a little dull and long, but I wanted to get some of the back story out so you can understand there 'where' and 'why' surrounding these characters in New Orléans. No worries – I think we can expect to see some of our old friends from Mystic Falls in the upcoming future. **;) **

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**PREVIEW FOR CHAPTER II – MONSTER FOR A MONSTER**

_It was in that exact moment that realization hit Elijah. For all of his years of battle and training in the art of schematics and logistics and battle tactics, how could he have missed _this_?! "This was just a diversion," he grumbled out, his voice so dark and ominous that even Niklaus had the good sense to look taken aback. "_We_ weren't the real targets." _


	3. Chapter 2: MONSTER FOR A MONSTER

**DOG DAYS ARE OVER **

CHAPTER II

MONSTER FOR A MONSTER

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"_Thus we have on stage two men, each of whom knows nothing of what he believes the other knows, and to deceive each other reciprocally both speak in allusions, each of the two hoping (in vain) that the other holds the key to his puzzle." _~Umberto Eco, "The Island of the Day Before"

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Sophie Deveraux had just finished the noon time rush when the call had come in. She was aware that she didn't look anything the part of the "head witch" that she was supposed to with her greasy hair and stained blouse and torn denim jeans, but she had figured that her poor appearance would be excused given the situation. Due to her closer proximity to Oschner Medical Center, Sophie arrived before the rest of the group did and had already made sure that the pre-compelled room and staff of nurses were waiting. The day had been hot and the hospital seemed to be running a big sluggishly before three apprehensive Original vampires burst through the doors and travelled a well-organized path to their pre-arranged hospital room. Some of the nurses whom had been left out of the compulsion circle yelled for them to stop or even tried to phone security. The blonde sister of the family put an immediate stop to all of that, however. Sophie followed Elijah and Niklaus who were helping a heavy-breathing Hayley up to her room without the mandatory aid of a wheel chair. From there, Sophie went about the necessary ministrations to make sure that she was sterilized.

A cry of agony ripped through the private hallway.

"10 centimeters dilated!" A nurse called out. "It's time to start pushing…"

Taking a moment to appreciate the day they had all been waiting on was here, Sophie did her best to not let nervousness break her determined stride or thought process. Before all of this had come to a head, all Sophie had thought about was the safety of her city and of her witch sisters and warlock brothers and how the conception of this child played a key role in gleaning the Original hybrid's help in overthrowing the current regime of vampires. Now, though, Sophie had to switch direction and focus one thing and one thing only: The birth of the first hybrid/werewolf child.

"Klaus, do not leave me!" Hayley dictated from her spot on the hospital bed. The Original hybrid didn't look like he had any plans of doing as such even without Hayley's demand. He looked to Sophie as the witch appeared in the room and the two shared a secret look before Sophie went into action with the nurses to deliver the child.

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"That just sounds absolutely dreadful…" Rebekah murmured to her big brother as the two Original vampires sat awkwardly out in the waiting room. "It's like their lacing her veins with wolfsbane."

The very thought unsettled Elijah and he shifted to show his distaste in Rebekah's analogy. Either his sister didn't notice or she didn't care. Her crystal gaze was trained on the door of the medical ward in which Hayley was being kept. Unaware of how much time had passed, Elijah and Rebekah had sat in idle silence while Hayley's screams ravaged their ears and the nurses' ordered things about. It hadn't taken anyone long to realize that Hayley's werewolf gene disallowed any considerable amount of anesthetic to work before her accelerated metabolism burned it off. Therefore, Hayley was going to need to go about this the natural way. Elijah had chuckled as she screamed at Klaus for the revelation (despite that it was in no way his fault) and she had wondered out loud what good the hospital was even _for_ if they couldn't drug her up. Rebekah had asked Elijah the same question.

"It sounds like things are going well enough, though. I've heard no news of complications," Elijah answered Rebekah. His hands were tightly curled within his lap. "It will all be over soon."

"Do you think it will be a girl or a boy?"

"I like the poetic justice of it being a girl," Elijah answered immediately. "And hopefully she's brunette. Niklaus can then spend the five centuries or so chasing around yet another defiant woman."

Rebekah laughed and Elijah smirked. His thoughts drifted momentarily to the woman that they had left at their manor without a word. Elijah had done his best to try to locate Katerina before they had made their way to the car with the laboring Hayley, but it seemed as if though the doppelganger had not wanted to be found. Elijah couldn't necessarily blame her. Hayley and Katherine were not exactly the best of friends and Katherine spent her days terrified of being in an Original's presence due to their use of compulsion. Still, Elijah would have liked to have seen _some_ semblance of interest on Katherine's face before he left her. She had been so dis-attached since she'd arrived in New Orléans. Katherine had wanted nothing to do with Hayley and the baby and even less to do with the familial affairs of the Originals. Even worse than that, Katerina had seemed to taking an active interest in evading _him_. Whenever Elijah was in the Petrova's presence he could feel the animosity she held for him coming off in waves. The ever-astute Rebekah had remarked on the awkwardness that hung in the air whenever Elijah and Katherine were in the same room, but Katherine had dismissed it with a wave of her hand. _'You're just imagining things, blondie,'_ _Katerina said with feigned sweetness. 'Why would I _ever_ hold a grudge against either of your brothers?'_ That statement had been enough to concrete Elijah's fear that Katherine now despised him – no, not _despised_. There was something more at play there. Katherine's MO was to always toy and play with men in her life, even if she loathed them. This had to have been something even more severe than hatred because Katerina had hardly given Elijah the time of day since Klaus had drug her back to New Orléans. The idea shook Elijah to his core, though he'd spoken of his anguish over the issue to no one.

The sound of wailing broke through the air and both of the Original siblings were on their feet in an instant.

"She did it," Rebekah breathed, her eyes wide. "She actually _did_ it. I can hear the baby, 'Lijah."

Elijah didn't respond. If he had an active heart, he was sure it would have failed him by now. All these months, all the preparations, all the trouble they'd gone through came down to _this_. What they thought would never be possible had come to pass and they were staring down the new chapter of their family. He was elated and terrified at the same time. Both brother and sister watched the doors waiting for some news on their new niece or nephew.

There was a slight scuffling that Elijah picked up on. His eyes narrowed and he looked towards the waiting room doors; the doors that led to the other channels and hallways and departments of the hospital.

"Do you hear that?" Rebekah asked him as she too peered towards the doors, shifting her body to face them.

Elijah took a few steps towards the doors to try to get a better sense of what the commotion was about before there was a blur of motion and the swinging barricades were flung open to reveal a hoard of vampires.

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Whoever said that vampires were inexhaustible creatures of the night were _clearly_ never best friends with Caroline Lizbeth Forbes. The little blonde ball of energy that never stopped had already dragged Elena _all_ over the state college campus. Twice. The doppelganger had been lost in a sea of new faces and new places since they'd stepped foot on the grounds. She couldn't remember half of the people who she'd met nor was she clear on just how many clubs that Caroline had signed them up for. A pile of papers and flyers was sitting neatly on the oak wood desk that belonged to Elena. There were forms upon forms that she needed to complete and look over and a bunch of literature that needed to be read pertaining to her new "obligations." …Classes hadn't even started yet. Still, going along with Caroline's over-zealous attitude towards the "normal college life" had been easier than arguing with the go-getter. Elena would sort out all the "damage" that had been done today at another time. For now? She wanted to appreciate the alone time that she'd managed to find while Caroline was still out and about "exploring." The two shared a dorm, but if Caroline followed suit with all that she had planned, Elena was sure that the two would rarely see each other.

Sitting on her freshly made bed, Elena clicked on the TV that rested atop Caroline's desk on the opposite side of the room. Grateful for the background noise, the brunette set about unlocking the cooler under her bed and grasping one of the blood bags that under a bunch of sodas. She ripped open the seal and brought the bag to her lips, sipping slowly, and closing her eyes as the blood soared through her rattled veins and rejuvenated her. Her anxiousness now satiated, Elena could think more clearly and – hopefully – get some sleep. Tonight would be the first night that she spent away from Damon Salvatore since their high school graduation. Home sickness was already a problem, but Elena had hidden it well as she saw how badly all of her friends (and even her own brother) had wanted her to try to enjoy the "normal life" that college offered her.

The sound of her phone buzzing caught Elena's attention. A text message from Bonnie? Sighing, Elena thought that was better than nothing. She hadn't seen or talked with her Wiccan friend since graduation (Jeremy had, though, and said that Bonnie just needed some time to cope with what Expression had done to her, so she was staying with her mother.)

**Klaus' baby was born tonight. **

Elena grimaced. The idea of the maniacal hybrid as a father still unnerved Elena, but she knew just to be grateful that the awful man was out of Mystic Falls. Trying her luck, Elena attempted to call Bonnie to get more details. The phone rang twice and then went to voicemail.

**Sry. W/ my mom the movies. Can't talk**

Of course. Bitterly, Elena responded.

**Does Caroline kno? **

**I dunno. She hasnt responded 2 me. **

That was _odd_. Caroline out of everyone was the most invested in trying to see or talk to Bonnie; the two had grown obnoxiously close ever since Elena had spent more and more time with Damon and Stefan since the Salvatores had moved to town. Frowning, Elena responded with a simple '**OK**' to Bonnie's text and knew not to expect an answer from the elusive witch. Bringing the phone up to her ear, Elena dialed out to Caroline only for the phone to go straight to voicemail. Caroline **never** let her phone die, so Elena surmised that she must have just been in a dead area. Not having the energy to panic (or, really, any _valid reason_ to panic) Elena leaned back and on the pillows of her bed. She composed a simple '**I love you.**' text message to Damon and a '**Call when you get this.'** to Caroline and then promptly fell asleep.

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There were witches that could easily bring down a vampire with a simple flick of their wrist or focus of their powers, and then there were witches who couldn't. Sophie Deveraux was one of the witches who _couldn't_. So when five fang-baring vampires entered the hospital room in a rush, Sophie did the only thing she knew how to do: _She protected the baby_.

The nurses who were quickly working to try to clean and sew Hayley up after the birth were the first to go. As Klaus shielded Hayley from the sudden onslaught of the attack, the vampires went to work snapping or tearing into the necks of all the female attendants. It was clear that their intent was not to feed, however – it was to _kill_. Sophie had just taken the babe away from Hayley and Klaus and was attempting to clean it when the vampires emerged. The child screamed in her arms, obviously picking up on the violence and the animosity of the room. Sophie saw a look of pure terror cross Hayley's face as Klaus went into action, decapitating a vampire who wasn't quick enough to evade him, and letting the corpse fall to the floor. The Original hybrid then targeted the next two vampires, but another rush of five came storming into the room. One vampire focused in on Hayley while the other was drawn to the child's wailing. Sophie held the child close to her chest as the vampire ascended upon her and she gave the male creature a look of pure contempt, backing up into a corner.

The vampire showed her a cruel smirk, his eyes trained on her dark orbs. Then… he lunged. Sophie squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the blow… But it never came. Opening her eyes she stared up into the wildly shimmering hues of Elijah Mikaelson, the vampire's heart in his limber hand. "Get the baby out of here," he ordered her and Sophie nodded in complete agreement before moving around the tense Original and disappearing through the hospital room door.

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Katherine Pierce would have been lying to herself if she said she wasn't curious about the birth of the baby. Her interest, however, wasn't enough for her to try and text or call one of the Original siblings while they were at the hospital. The now-human doppelganger would surely find out all she needed to know in due time; she couldn't imagine that they would stay within the confines of the hospital for too long. In fact, Katherine was a little surprised that Klaus had allowed for an out-of-home birth at all, but she surmised that it had something to do with the witches _refusing_ to enter the Originals' home. The witches were idiots. If Klaus wanted them dead, they would be dead. It didn't matter the site.

It was nearing 10 o'clock. The Originals had left in their haste around 2PM. Harnessing what little energy she had left, Katherine traveled from her room to the kitchen, intent on finding something to eat. She was mal-nourished, that much was for sure, but she did keep enough in her system just to keep her going. Due to Hayley also living with the Original family, the refrigerator and cabinets of the kitchen was always well stocked. Katherine took advantage of this fact as she found some lunch meat and bread and went about making herself a sandwich. It had been four months since she'd been "reborn" and Katherine _still_ couldn't accept the fact that she now needed _food_ to survive. The whole concept seemed so foreign to her. Sure, now and again she may have forced down a meal, but food overall seemed like such a bothersome thing. Hence why the already petite woman was now 20 lbs. smaller and a lot frailer.

Two hybrids made their way into the kitchen just as Katherine had finished piling her sloppy sandwich together and they grinned at her, but didn't speak. Both men and both attractive, Katherine had gotten used to the two of them around the house. The Bopsy Twins were the ones who guarded her, making sure that she didn't try to escape. The smug looks on their faces said it all. Glowering at them, Katherine turned her back and headed out of the kitchen towards their room. A wolf whistle hit her ears, but Katherine ignored it and just kept on her steady pace until she could kick the large door of her room closed behind her and fall upon her bed in a heap, careful not to tip the plate with her sandwich. She looked out towards the window which offered her a splendid view of the city and began to chew nimbly at her food, cross-legged on her big, luxurious bed in her old-world decorated room. Her gilded cage. She _hated_ it here. There was nothing more that Katherine wanted to than find her way to freedom. But Klaus had gotten smarter. Unlike in 1492, he'd taken active precautions to make sure that Katherine could not seduce or charm her way out of his captivity. The hybrids were sired to _him_ and Elijah's devotion to his family outweighed anything he may feel (or have felt) for her in the past.

She was stuck.

Forever.

Katherine Pierce never cried, so distract herself from the tightness welling up in her chest, the brunette tossed her head back on the pillows and stared up at the cream-colored ceiling of her room. She had just about phased out the outside world completely when a howl of pure agony ripped through the house.

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When the dust had all settled, none of the attacking vampires had survived. Their bodies were strewn about in Hayley's hospital room, the corridor, and the waiting room. Many of them were missing limbs. The whole scene was _grotesque_. Elijah never showed any emotion, however, as he looked over the fallen creatures – both men and women – and tried to see if he knew any of them personally. He didn't. Then again, Elijah's newly found crowd of vampire followers tended to be a little more well-mannered than this group of nocturnal terrorists.

"You're sure that we got all of them, 'Lijah?" Klaus growled as he also looked about the mess. His sea green eyes were flashing wildly, anger clenching his jaw so tight that Elijah began to worry it might snap. The eldest Original nodded affirmatively.

"Where's the baby?"

Hayley was muttering incomprehensibly from her hospital bed. Rebekah was at her side, dabbing at the bite wounds in the werewolf's neck tenderly to try to stop the bleeding. "Sophie is taking care of it," Rebekah murmured as she tried to soothe and fix the new mother (since all the attending nurses were now dead.)

"Him…" Hayley corrected softly. She looked to Klaus and then to Elijah. "It's a boy."

A boy? Elijah smiled despite their current situation, running a bloodied hand along his suit and then looking over at his younger brother. "A son, Niklaus?" he asked, and was grateful that the statement seemed to take a little edge off of Niklaus' disposition. The Original hybrid nodded towards his older brother in affirmation.

"An heir, Elijah," he added with pride. "An heir to help me in keeping control of this city while _Marcel_…" At the mention of the wayward vampire king's name, Klaus crouched down to inspect one of the dismembered bodies, "learns his _place_. These are Marcel's men. How they found out that Hayley had gone into labor…"

"Probably the same way that they even found out she was pregnant," Rebekah chimed in. "Watching us. Marcel's got spies everywhere."

"Then he should know better than to think even twenty vampires would be enough to overthrow three Originals." Klaus erected his stance and then came to stand next to Hayley's bed, opposite Rebekah. He ran a hand over the confused woman's forehead and gazed down into her green eyes with a look of real concern. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

"I want my baby," Hayley answered pathetically, tears in her eyes. "Please, I just want to see that he's okay. He's my _baby_."

Klaus nodded, his thumb still running about the girl's cheeks, catching the tears. Looking to Rebekah, the Original sister nodded. "I'll go and find Sophie," she whispered, giving Hayley an affectionate pat on her arm and then stepping her way over the carnage in the room to disappear through the doors and find the witch.

Elijah looked about the bodies once more, thinking over all that Klaus had said and all that he knew. His brother was right when he said that it had been a fool's errand to think that they would have any type of success in this barrage. If this was the kind of sport Marcel had planned on starting, why would he wait until _now_? To go after a werewolf's child was a suicide mission; the werewolf species was _supremely_ protective of their young. Not to mention, what kind of message would Marcel be sending if he had killed Klaus' child? The child was the only thing that had kept Niklaus tempered up until now. Even after Marcel had figured out that the Original hybrid was only "playing nice" while the witches went about their plan to _try_ and take Marcel's entire close-knit community out of power (which had failed due to Marcel's witches being stronger), Marcel had known that Klaus had only stayed out of a full on war because of his child's safety. If the child had been harmed in any way, then Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah, and a whole army of hybrids would have been at his doorstep. He wouldn't have stood a chance. This was such a foolish act on Marcel's part and Elijah had never taken Marcel to be a foolish man. His face twisted in concentration as he tried to think of what the goal of this bombardment had been outside of the killing of Klaus' new heir. There _had_ to be one.

It was in that exact moment that realization hit Elijah. For all of his years of battle and training in the art of schematics and logistics and battle tactics, how could he have missed _this_?! "This was just a diversion," he grumbled out, his voice so dark and ominous that even Niklaus had the good sense to look taken aback. "_We_ weren't the real targets."

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It was futile to hide and Katherine knew that, but she had to try. The mangled growls and hisses on the lower floor were so loud that Katherine found it difficult to focus on anything else but the war that was breaking out between the hybrids and the band of vampires that were both surrounding the Mikaelson manor and taking it by force. She had no idea who was winning, but she did know that witches were involved and the doppelganger was very aware of how well the hybrids didn't do against their power. Holding her ribs which had taken a vicious kick and bite from one of the offenders, Katherine pushed open Elijah's bedroom door and shut it behind her. Resisting the urge to crumple up on the floor, she looked about wildly for something – anything – that she could use against anyone who tried to follow her. (The piece of wood from her shattered bedposts she'd used to kill two vampires had been lost when she'd fled her room and looked for a more secure hiding place.)

Footsteps sounded behind her and Katherine panicked, rushing towards Elijah's massive bed. Using his bed side table to support some of her weight off of her wound, she crouched down and began to slide underneath. In the shuffle, a folder and an alarm clock fell from the nightstand and Katherine cursed under her breath, bringing the items with her as to try to not leave proof that anyone had entered the chambers. The doppelganger cradled the items against her chest with one hand while the other pressed firmly on her wounded abdomen. She needed to stave the bleeding and try to keep the smell of blood from getting too obvious or else she surely would be caught.

"FIND HER!" A voice boomed throughout the house and Katherine cringed. She didn't recognize the owner of the voice. Grunting, the Petrova shifted herself to keep pressure off of her wound and she watched the door from her spot under the bed. The folder bent against her chest and she tried to stop it from cutting into her chin by sliding it to the side as soundless as possible. It was then that the papers began to slide from the manila keep and Katherine looked at them briefly as their shuffling caught her attention.

That was all it took.

Before Katherine could fully comprehend what she had just stumbled upon, the door to Elijah's room burst open.

And Katherine Pierce, Queen of Survival, knew that her time was up.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **Thanks for all the lovely reviews, everyone! I hope this chapter was enough to keep you satiated until I can get the next one up!

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**PREVIEW FOR CHAPTER III – NEGOTIATIONS**

_Marcel began to realize that the girl was of more use to him alive than she was dead. But, by the looks of things, this realization may have come too late. _


	4. Chapter 3: NEGOTIATIONS

**DOG DAYS ARE OVER **

CHAPTER III

NEGOTIATIONS

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"_You cannot negotiate with people who say what's mine is mine and what's yours is negotiable." _~ John F. Kennedy

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Vervain was a nasty thing. In low doses it was a minor annoyance; a burn to the skin that quickly healed. In high doses it had a longer-lasting effect, traveling through a vampire's system continuously until it was churned out by the recycled blood that they survived off. In the highest of doses, it could render a vampire unconscious or – worse yet – become fatal. A lot of variables went in to how vervain affected an individual vampire (the age of the vampire, the potency of the herb, the tolerance the vampire had built up to it, etc.) And a careful assessment of these variables needed to be utilized if you didn't want your vampire-victim to end up dead before they'd run out their use.

Whoever slammed the vervain-filled syringe into Caroline Forbe's neck yesterday had _clearly_ not put enough thought into their dosage.

The blonde had been stirring for the past five or so minutes, but it was just now that she opened her eyes. Head pounding and senses going haywire, Caroline had to put forth great effort to concentrate on just where she was and what was going on. She firmly remembered being in the courtyard of her new college campus before she ended up _here_ – wherever 'here' was. Squinting into the dim light of the room, the Forbes girl realized that she was in an all-too familiar situation: _Captivity_. She groaned and then closed her eyes once more and almost begged for unconsciousness to take her over again. It was then that the weight around her wrists made its presence known and Caroline looked down to see the metal chains cuffed around her slender wrists, and then slide around behind her to the wall where they were bolted tightly into the cement. There was no way she would ever be able to break those even with her advanced strength.

The smell of blood hit her nose like a pound of bricks and Caroline whipped her head to the side to find the source. Her stomach gurgled at the sensation and the blonde realized then just how hungry that she was. How long had it been since she'd fed? How long had she been down here? _Where was here?! _

The silhouette of another person could be seen in the distance of the room, haphazardly laying at the furthest corner away from Caroline, but still a far space away from the cellar door that – Caroline had to presume – was locked. Using her cat-like eyesight, Caroline peered at the person and her eyes widened. The jangling of her chains could be heard as Caroline tested the strength of her constraints.

"Elena?" she cried out towards the unmoving figure. "ELENA?!"

No response.

"HELLO?!" the blonde screamed further. "CAN ANYBODY HEAR ME?! Let us out of here!"

It was silent for the longest time and Caroline again pulled against the cuffs on her wrists in a feeble attempt to free herself. The smell of blood was overwhelming and she felt like she might go insane if she were subjected to yet _another_ dose of torture at the hands of some maniac.

The door to the cellar opened quickly and two bright flashes of light made Caroline squint her eyes and turn away. By the time she turned her head back to look to see who had entered, the heavy door to the cell closed and she was left in silence once more.

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By the time that Rebekah had found her big brother, the damage had been done. She had heard it as he had torn through his room, destroying nearly everything within it. Things had cracked and crashed and splintered, all completely annihilated within the matter of three seconds. It had been horrendous and Rebekah was just glad she had not been in the way when it had occurred. Though she had only seen Elijah like this once before in her _entire_ life, Rebekah knew to leave well enough alone until his composure was regained and his emotions gave him some sort of reprieve. That was why Rebekah did not come to Elijah's side until she glimpsed him in their nephew's nursery, staring down at the slumbering child with a stony face and effort-rumpled suit. Silently, she also looked down on the beautiful little baby in the crib, reaching to stroke his cheek.

"Where is Hayley?" Elijah whispered.

"Sleeping," Rebekah answered, flicking her gaze to Elijah's face. "Sophie finished up the sewing and the bleeding has stopped, but she's been drained. We almost lost her."

Elijah said nothing and Rebekah returned her eyes to the babe before them. "We will find her, Elijah," the blonde Original spoke up after the long moment. "Niklaus already has all of his remaining hybrids out trying to find out information." Briefly, Rebekah thought back on the incident just an hour before when Niklaus was also forcibly restraining his older brother from leaving the house and finding Marcel and ripping his heart out. (This occurred right after Klaus had received a picture message on his phone that depicted a beaten, unconscious Katherine and a bewildered, chained Caroline in a small, atrocious cell. The words attached to the picture were: **Say hello to the newest additions to MY family**.) It was odd for Rebekah to have seen her brothers' roles reversed as Klaus fought against Elijah's impulsive need to put an end to the game Marcel was playing.

It was another long moment before Elijah spoke up again. And when he spoke, Rebekah could have sworn that he was putting insurmountable effort into trying to keep his tone calm and reserved. "We _will_ find her, Rebekah," he murmured, turning from her to walk towards the door. "Or else I will burn this city to the ground."

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"She is not _safe_ here, Klaus!"

He couldn't be sure, but the Hybrid could have sworn this was the hundredth time that Sophie Deveraux had screamed these words to him since he'd _met_ her. Only this time they had a lasting effect. Truth was that Klaus saw now just how unprotected he had left Hayley and his son over the past few months. Had Marcel wanted to, this overtaking of the manor could have been done _well _before now. Klaus had been careless and over-sure of himself. Running a hand down his face, a growl emanated from his throat and spilled out of his lips as he turned from the window of his study and glared into the ever-determined eyes of the witch.

"And what do you expect? For me to just let my son and his mother go with _you_?! What kind of protection can you offer them that I can't?!"

Sophie never faltered. Her arrogance around him annoyed Klaus to no end and he was running out of reasons why he hadn't killed her yet. "We can go into hiding. Hayley, me, and the baby until _you've_ found a way to take Marcel out for good. Can't you see what he's _doing_ here Klaus? He wants something from you. Why else would he have taken that girl?! He _knows_ that you care about her and that he can use her against you. He went after those girls because he knew that they were the easiest ways to hit _you_ the hardest. And as soon as he gets rid of your hybrid army and finds out who the mole is in his operation, he'll come after Hayley and the baby as well! Can't you see that? He's just biding his time!"

"Let him bide his time," Klaus bit back in response. "Let him think that he's won this battle. He has _yet_ to see what I am truly capable of."

"Or he has and it's not enough to scare him away." Sophie spoke softly, trying her hardest to get through to the headstrong Original. "He no longer just wants you out of this city, Klaus. He wants you to submit to him, to show him the respect he thinks he deserves as _king_."

"HE IS NOT A KING!" Klaus roared.

Shaking her head, Sophie knew that she was fighting an uphill battle. "You need to take him out, Klaus. If you don't he will keep trying to take away the ones that you love. He has the doppelganger; he knows she's what you need to continue to make your hybrids. If he didn't know that then he wouldn't have put forth the effort to destroy her entire blood supply." It was true – Klaus could smell Katerina's blood everywhere within the house. It had nearly driven Elijah mad with anger and grief. Niklaus was still reeling from _that_ confrontation with his brother. "But she's still alive. So either you give Marcel what he wants – his _city _or you hand Hayley and the baby over to me until our plan has been pushed through."

"Caroline is in a bloody cell at the mercy of my enemy and you think I'm worried about your _plan_?"

Sophie's eyes widened. "Klaus, if you don't help the witches in this city, then Marcel's hold over them will only give him _more_ power and New Orléans will be the last of our worries when it comes to his tyranny."

"If we don't get Katerina or Caroline both back safely," Klaus warned lowly, "Then _Marcel_ will be the least of your worries."

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She must have made some sort of noise before she'd come to, because the voice of Caroline Forbes was the first thing that hit the doppelganger's ears when she woke up. Though Caroline had always _greatly_ annoyed Katherine, the pain that swelled in her abdomen was _much_, _much_ worse than the panicked dribbling of the blonde vampire. Katherine groaned and coughed once before looking up into the eyes of her cell-mate and then shutting them again once more as another throb of pain pulsed through her.

"Elena, are you okay?"

Caroline's words finally came into focus and Katherine had to smile with humor that never reached her eyes. "Guess again, blondie," the brunette rasped out, rolling over on her stomach and wincing. She put a hand to the puncture wound near her ribs and applied gentle pressure. Her hands came away wet with blood and she realized that the wound wasn't closing or healing.

"Katherine…" Caroline muttered, throwing her head back against the stone wall of the room and frowning. "…Fantastic."

"Nice to see you too."

Caroline shook her head in disbelief. "Where are we?"

Katherine didn't have a concrete answer for that, but she had a pretty good guess. "Welcome to New Orléans, princess."

"_Why_?"

"Consider us casualties of war," Katherine muttered back. She coughed again and winced as the pain became more and more potent.

"Klaus." The statement was simple and full of contempt. Katherine nodded at the blonde and struggled to sit up in her own corner, noting the manacles around her own wrists. "Are you okay…?" Caroline peered at the doppelganger, seemingly noting her wound and the spillage of fresh blood.

"I'm alive," Katherine muttered back, closing her eyes. "I've been in worse scrapes than this."

"Yeah, me too," the blonde murmured bitterly. "What do they want from us?"

Katherine wanted to smack the blonde for her naïvety but the chains on her wrists disallowed her to move, not to mention she was wounded and human. "I don't think they want anything from _us_…" the Petrova answered simply.

"Who is _they_?"

Katherine didn't really have an answer for that one.

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Marcel was antagonistic by nature, but he preferred things to run smoothly when it came to his own regime. He liked power and he liked control and he liked the idea of family; a family where he sat at the metaphorical head of the dinner table. With Marcel in control of New Orléans, life had seemed to be great for his vampire coven. Sure there were skirmishes now and again that required his attention and show of brute force, but for the most part it was "peaceful." Peaceful for the vampires, that meant. The witches – the men and women who had tried to put limits on Marcel's reign – did not enjoy Marcel's "rules" in the slightest. But Marcel had grown up on the streets of this same city and was a firm believer in Darwinism, "the survival of the fittest." Majority ruled in Marcel's eyes and the vampire race reigned supreme over all other supernatural creatures. It was an ideology that had been instilled in him by his mentor – Niklaus Mikaelson.

Funny how it was everything that Klaus had taught Marcel that had brought the two men to this point.

The self-proclaimed King of New Orléans was sitting at the bar of his nightclub when Diego approached him. It was only now just noon, so they were alone with the exception of a few of Marcel's in-crowd individuals roaming about. Nothing he and Diego talked about needed to be hidden from them; the inner-circle was well-aware of what was going on. They had helped plan it and carry the tactic to fruition.

"The girl's in bad condition." Diego blinked and watched for a reaction from his leader.

Marcel was silent for a long time, taking a sip of the ale in the mug in his hand. "Diego, do you know the story of Katherine Pierce?"

"Not intimately."

Marcel still didn't look at his young protégé. "Niklaus Mikaelson spent five hundred years looking for this girl just to torture and to kill her if he found her. I heard the story back when I was in close quarters with the Original family. Sometimes he would tell me of his plan to find her and torture her; he spelt out just what he was going to do to her in vivid, gory detail. Outside of Mikael, I think this woman may have been the bastard's most hated person."

Diego didn't respond.

"And now," Marcel continued, "she's the one woman on this Earth that he _needs_ to keep alive. Without her, he can't create his little hybrid army."

"Then why don't we just kill her and get it over with?" Diego inquired. Marcel noted the youth's impulsiveness and he finally turned his head to look at him.

"Bargaining chip, young one," Marcel answered. He got up from his bar stool and threw his leather jacket over his muscular shoulders, heading for the back room of the bar.

"Isn't that why we got the blonde one?" Diego kept pace with his boss.

Marcel grinned, pushing the doors open to the cellar stairs and stepping swiftly down. "Diego, Diego, Diego… One day you'll learn. For power, a man will give up his house and home and all that he owns. For love? He'll give up his _heart_."

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If Sophie were to find the werewolf-girl roaming about for no rhyme or reason, the witch would most certainly wag her tongue and her finger. Hayley didn't care, though. For all that had occurred and all that was being done, Hayley had been left plainly out-of-the-loop and she didn't think that was fair. Yes, Hayley didn't make it a _habit_ to dabble in Klaus' affairs, _especially_ when it came to Marcel and that whole fiasco, but now this affected more than just him. Klaus had a son to worry about and so did she. It pained Hayley to no end to know that she was simply the "mother of his child" and not someone who he felt compelled to keep updated with the affairs of their son's safety.

Her hearing was better than that of humans and that allowed Hayley to sit outside the door of Klaus' study and listen without being heard. No one had ever dared do such a thing before, but Hayley couldn't give a damn less about Klaus' anger – all she wanted to know was how this affected their _baby_. She'd stumbled upon a heated exchange between the brothers, and the more Hayley heard… the less she wanted to listen.

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"You have a son now to worry about, Niklaus," Elijah spoke solidly, hiding his fluster. "You cannot just go barreling into Marcel's houses and homes in trying to find Katerina and Ms. Forbes. I won't allow it."

Klaus was pacing the ground now, his face in a tight grimace. "I hate to tell you this, brother, but I don't think that Katerina is an issue any longer. Caroline is their leverage. The doppelganger-"

"Katerina," Elijah corrected him darkly.

"_Katerina_ was probably dead in that cell."

Elijah took a few unneeded breaths through his parted lips before speaking again. His brother's callousness towards Elijah's feelings would go excused for now. Nothing could get in the way of devising a plan to safely remove Katerina (and Caroline – though she was in no way, shape, or form a priority in Elijah's eyes) from Marcel's keep.

"If they were going to kill Katerina then they would have done so here and left her body for _us_ to find." Klaus made no rebuttal to Elijah's statement, so he continued. "They're up to something, Niklaus. I know that my actions were a bit _depraved_ earlier…" Depraved was an understatement. Even Niklaus had admitted he was afraid that his older brother was going to tear through the entire manor and bring it tumbling to the ground. "But now I see that there's something bigger here at work. _I_ will confront Marcel. You have a child now; you can't just go bursting down the doors of your enemies without a second thought about how that might affect-"

"I am invincible, Elijah," Klaus growled.

"But the child is not. And neither is Hayley."

"And neither is Caroline!"

Klaus' fascination with the young, blonde vampire had irked Elijah in the beginning but it had also let him know that there was still a spark of humanity in his little brother. Now, though, the feelings that Niklaus felt towards the woman were a hindering variable. Pointing this out to Klaus would do no good and it would only make Elijah seem to be the biggest hypocrite of them all. If the person that Klaus needed to create his hybrid army were any other individual excluding Katerina Petrova, Elijah wouldn't care that they had been taken. Elijah didn't care much for Klaus' little "hybrid family." In fact, Elijah had been well-aware of the fact that Katherine Pierce had been "cured" of vampirism _hours_ before his little brother had found out. Elijah had asked that Elena keep the information to herself about Katherine's transformation… But Rebekah had not been so quiet about the little revelation. Still, Elijah was the better of the two candidates to try to free the young woman. No, they could not take Marcel by force because they had no idea where he was hiding the women or what he would do to them if Elijah and Niklaus started going about banging down the doors. But Elijah was a man of diplomacy… Most of the time, anyway. The same could never be said for Niklaus.

Taking a step forward with a soft expression, Elijah placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and demanded the hybrid's gaze. "Henrik Kollin Mikaelson needs you, Niklaus," the eldest Original spoke wisely. "The girl needs you. They need your protection. You're his father; it's your duty."

Elijah wasn't sure if he had gotten through to his brother because the annoying ring of Klaus' cell phone broke through the moment and took Klaus' attention immediately. He brought the large smart phone out from his back pocket and held it up where Elijah could see it.

Marcel's name flashed on the screen.

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Caroline's head snapped up when the door to their "cell" opened. She watched as a mammoth of a dark-skinned man walked in, followed by a shorter, curly-haired boy. "HEY!" she called out. "Who are you and what the _hell_ is going on here?"

It was only then that Caroline realized that the dark man had a cell phone pressed to his ear. White teeth gleaming, he grinned in her direction. "Mmm… Klaus. Your girl has got some _spunk_!" he admonished into the phone.

"Is that Klaus on the phone?!" Caroline got to her knees in surprise, her chains moving with her to allow the minimal movement. "Klaus! What have you done?! Get us out of here RIGHT NOW or so help m-" The smack came so fast and hard that Caroline had to brace herself against the grimy floor with her palms. Diego stood above her, looking down with a stony expression. Caroline scoffed and spit a bit of blood which quickly saturated into the cement floor. "OW!" she said with a shake of her head, not at all comprehending what she'd done to deserve _that_.

Marcel ignored the display. His attention was now on the other female in the room who had faded in and out for the past couple of hours. Caroline wouldn't have minded hearing about the death of Katherine Pierce, but the warm-hearted vampire was a little queasy about watching it happen. Hell, she'd even tried to keep Katherine awake with some idle banter but that had all but failed as Katherine's responses became shorter, less witty, and then non-existent. The smell of doppelganger blood was pungent in the air and Caroline was ashamed that she could think of feeding at the same time that someone was slowly bleeding to death right in front of her. But she was so _hungry_. She'd called for help several times to no avail for help for the brunette.

"Your little secret ingredient, though," Marcel clucked into the phone. "She's not looking too good."

"What do you _want_ Marcel?" Caroline heard Klaus growl into the phone.

Marcel kept smiling, his hand twisting through the brown curls on Katherine's head before he turned back to look at Caroline. "To talk, Klaus," he responded simply. "Work out an arrangement."

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then, Klaus spoke again. "When? Where?"

"I'll text you the address," Marcel answered.

"I need proof that the doppelganger is alive," said Klaus.

Sighing, Marcel rolled his eyes and mouthed the word '_overdramatic_' to Caroline, pointing to the phone in his hand. He then turned back to Katherine and crouched down once more, holding the phone to the unconscious girl's ear. Caroline watched with interest as Marcel gently tapped Katherine's cheek to wake her up. It didn't work. Marcel shifted his hand down then and – with crushing force – he pressed his thumb down on the still leaking bite mark on Katherine's ribs. Caroline winced as Katherine screamed out, choking a bit as the pain forced her awake.

"Proof enough?" Marcel asked innocently into the phone. Diego smiled. Caroline wanted to slap them both, despite the fact that it was Katherine Pierce they were torturing.

To everyone's surprise, it was not Klaus' voice that came over the phone in response. It was Elijah. Even the hair on the back of Caroline's neck stood up as she listened to the eldest Original brother speak in his all-too-perfect and consular voice.

"If anything should happen to Katherine, Marcel, I assure you that no measure of my love for humanity will stop me from tearing through this city, _your_ city, and burning every inch of it to the ground leaving nothing but ash for you to rule over. Then I will come for you. I look forward to _our_ meeting." Click. The phone call was over.

Caroline watched Marcel's face as he soaked in Elijah's words. He seemed nonchalant about it in his laugh, but the tenseness of his physique and the slight shimmer of his eyes told Caroline that the vampire was _scared_. And with good reason.

"You're in _so_ much trouble," she prodded with a smug smirk.

Diego smacked her again.

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Certain unease came with being home alone for Jeremy Gilbert. Most teenage boys would have _loved_ to have an entire old-word mansion to themselves with an endless amount of video games and a fully-stocked fridge. But Jeremy was not a regular teenage boy. The younger Gilbert had spent months on the other side of the veil, trapped in Purgatory where he was alone with no one to talk to and helpless to stop what he saw going on around him. From Bonnie's falling into Expression at the hands of Silas to his sister turning off her emotions, Jeremy had watched all the events take place. He had screamed and cried and tried to even through a few punches, but to no avail. He was a ghost and he was alone. Therefore, four months down the line, the eerie silence of the Salvatore Boarding House made Jeremy think that his little stint as a regular human again may have just been a lie, a cheap trick of the mind.

The TV blared throughout the house as Jeremy sat in the parlor, playing his video games and wondering what else he could get himself into on a Saturday afternoon. He had thought about contacting Bonnie on the other side, but realized that his frustration with not being able to touch her or tell the others about her "situation" was riding too heavily on him. He didn't want to snap at her. Instead, he figured he might try to call Matt Donovan. Now that Matt was back in town (having spent a highly unorthodox and slightly weird to conceptualize summer with Rebekah Mikaelson), Jeremy had at least _one_ person here at home who didn't think he was a total freak. (It had been decided that the only way for Jeremy to return to school would be to prove that he faked his own death; the idea hadn't done wonders for his reputation.)

Pulling out his cellphone, Jeremy was just about to dial out when the front door opened and Jeremy's head swung around to see who was here. At this point, the medium would have been glad for _Damon Salvatore's_ company. Just as long as he wasn't alone. What Jeremy got was more than just a stone-faced Damon walking through the door; the older Salvatore was followed by a wide-eyed Elena and a very tense Tyler Lockwood. Standing up quickly, Jeremy walked around the couch. "Hey… What are you guys all doing here?"

"I live her," Damon responded coolly. "So does she," he added, pointing at Elena. "Him?" he continued, pointing at the Lockwood, "He's just a tag-along. A very annoying, very tempr-"

"Jer," Elena interrupted Damon with a dark look. "We need to talk to Bonnie. I've been texting her and calling her all day but none of us have been able to reach her."

That's probably because Jeremy hadn't bothered to check Bonnie's phone in a couple of hours. It was upstairs charging in his closet. "What for? What's going on?" Jeremy inquired as Elena hugged him quickly.

"Caroline's missing," Tyler quickly filled him in. "And the only person who will be able to find her is Bonnie."

Jeremy's face fell. _That_ was going to propose a problem.

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Klaus was as apathetic as ever as he walked through the dark hallway, Elijah at his side. Honestly, the Hybrid had no idea what it was that he'd be walking into and that unnerved him. The only control that the Original brothers had over their situation was that they would walk away unscathed, no matter what Marcel had planned. Katerina and – more importantly – Caroline could not say the same. Marcel's witches were strong; they were the men and women of the Occult that had traded their servitude over to Marcel in return for their permission to keep practicing within city limits. They had no problems with taking out Klaus' hybrids, but none had proved strong enough to neutralize and Original. At least not yet. For that reason, Klaus had left Rebekah in charge of watching over Hayley and the baby until he and Elijah returned.

Two vampires walked behind the brothers, vaguely guiding them along their path until they came to a large open bar room. Klaus had never been here and he _highly_ doubted Elijah had been either. There were tables and booths littered all around the floor, but it was the back booth of the underground club that Klaus and Elijah came upon Marcel. He was grinning at them, taking a casual stance as he watched them approach. His arms were spread wide on the back of the booth and his legs were parted. He motioned for them to have a seat across from him and Elijah begrudgingly slipped in first, followed by Klaus.

"Klaus…" Marcel said in his smooth voice. "Thanks for coming. Elijah." He nodded towards the eldest Original.

Elijah said nothing, just simply stared impassively in his neatly pressed black suit while Klaus leaned forward on the table. "There's no need for pleasantries, Marcel. Skip right to the part where you explain to us why we shouldn't rip your heart straight from your chest and feed it to the remaining hybrids."

Marcel smiled wider, looking at Klaus for a long moment. "Would you like a drink?" he asked. "I'm _parched_. Diego!" Marcel's eyes never left Klaus'. "Bring us a drink, please. All three of us. We might be here a while."

Elijah shifted in his seat a bit and Klaus shot him a look. Elijah didn't return it and instead just watched Marcel with fading interest. "What is it you want, Marcel?"

"All in good time my friend," Marcel answered with a dubious nod. Diego was at his side now, pushing through the crowd of vampires that seemed to be "on guard" with a tray and three regular glasses of deep, crimson liquid. _Blood_. Diego set the glasses on the table, one in front of each man, and then backed away. Klaus inspected his glass, his leather jacket crinkling with the effort, and Elijah did the same. "Fellows, fellows!" Marcel admonished with a laugh. "It's _fine_. Do you really think I'd be dumb enough to try to poison two Originals? I know how indestructible the two of you are. Drink up; it's on me."

Klaus didn't like to be played with, but he also didn't want to show Marcel any inclination that he might fear what he would do. So putting the glass to his lips, he took a quick drink. Elijah followed suit with a well-mannered tip of his glass and Marcel also took his own long drink, putting the glass down on the table with fervor and finishing with a refreshed, "Ahh."

"Where are Caroline and Katerina?" Elijah asked, his patience visibly wearing thin.

"You know," Marcel ignored him, "This really was… perfect, wasn't it? The slight spice to it, the thickness, the richness, the power it seems to give you." Taking a moment to think over his words, seemingly, Marcel looked from brother to brother. "I mean, the only way that tasted better was straight from the vein. Now I see what the _obsession_ is over doppelganger blood."

It happened in an instant, almost too fast for Klaus to register what was going on. The table which had been fastened to the floor and the wall on one said was ripped straight from its constraints and flipped to the side as if though it was nothing but a newspaper. Elijah's hand gripped tightly around Marcel's throat, holding him against the wall and his other hand was literally _in_ Marcel's chest, wrapped tightly around the vampire's heart. Marcel's hands wrapped around Elijah's penetrating wrist, but Klaus knew that would be a futile move. Marcel was only just over a hundred years old; his strength would never match that of Elijah's. Still. Elijah's brutish show of force and impetuous behavior had taken Klaus off guard but it had also angered him. It was not often that Elijah took the bait in such a situation and let his temper get the best of him. This was usually Klaus' role to play when it came to their confrontations with their enemies.

"Where is she?" Elijah growled from deep in his throat at the struggling vampire.

"Alive," Marcel rasped out. "For now. But if you squeeze any tighter, they'll both be dead before I hit the floor."

"That almost seems worth it," Klaus ground out as he came up next to Elijah to speak in Marcel's ear. "Then the city will be _mine_."

Marcel groaned as Elijah's firm grip got firmer. "There is one thing I learned different from you," the black vampire said slowly. "And that's backup plans. The city will not fall to pieces just because I die. My group – my _family_ – will know how to continue on without me. The doppelganger will still be dead, as will the annoying blonde one, and the city still won't be yours."

It was at this point that Elijah became acutely aware of the crowd that was forming around them, up on the balconies, and all over. Klaus looked around as well and he gave a devilish smile. "What is it you want, Marcel?" he demanded.

"KLAUS!"

The voice of Caroline Forbes had a habit of carrying, but Klaus would have picked up on it on a whisper. His head whipped up to the top balcony of the club to see the blonde struggling among a hoard of darkly clothed and well made-up vampires. She stood out in her dirty clothes, unmade face, and bright voluminous hair. Another growl emanated from his throat. Caroline should _not_ be here. She was supposed to be off, fulfilling her fancy of a normal college life. And he should have been at home with his newborn son. Anger fueled the glare he shot back to Marcel whom Elijah had not yet let go. "It'll be okay, Caroline," Klaus called to her, though his eyes were back on his brother and his former-protégé. He could tell that – though he was fast – he would not be fast enough to get through the crowd to Caroline before someone ripped her head clean off. "_We'll _be leaving soon."

"Where's Katherine, Caroline?" Elijah called up to the blonde.

Niklaus reverted his gaze back up to the blonde and noticed her nibbling at her cheek, only giving minimal struggle to those who held her arms. "I don't know," she answered and Klaus knew it was the truth.

Elijah didn't respond, but Marcel coughed as the blood vessels in his heart began to pop. "She's fine!" Marcel let out through clenched teeth. "She's alive. For now. Now let me go before one of my men pull the quick trigger slice that pretty little girl's head off."

"What do you want?" Elijah boomed.

"For the blonde?" Marcel answered with a humorless laugh. "I want you… All of you… Out of _my_ city. Move on and find a new place to settle and try to rule over."

Klaus closed his eyes in aggravation. He knew that one was coming. "And for the doppelganger?" he questioned.

Marcel was quiet for a long time before a jerk from Elijah's hand forced him to speak quickly. "The doppelganger comes at a higher price. For her? I want the White Oak Stake."

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There was very little worry about there being another attack on the Mikaelson manor, but Rebekah had been asked to stay put just in case. Gladly, she'd accepted the role. The Original sister didn't care too much about either Katherine Pierce or Caroline Forbes and wasn't about to go running into one of Marcel's traps for their safety. The idiocy of men (even her brothers) wasn't something she had wanted to take part in, so she had rendered herself a spot on one of the living room chairs with an old book and a glass of wine. The hours before hand had been spent with Hayley and little Henrik (a namesake passed down for her fallen little brother) as both Rebekah and Hayley got used to what it was that a baby _needed_. Henrik had been born as a hybrid (which was the common theory) and therefore would grow as part vampire and part werewolf. That meant that he needed blood to survive – in a sense – but it also meant that he was more "normal baby" than he was "supernatural baby." His werewolf gene had not yet been activated (babies can't really kill anyone). He cried just like all other babies and he nursed just like all other babies. The only real difference was the fact that his eyes were an unnatural yellow color at times and he was larger than other babies. But he was still adorable, even with how much of Klaus he seemed to carry with him.

Rebekah already adored the child.

Hayley had claimed sleepiness just a few hours before and had taken the baby to her room for the rest of the night. Rebekah had ordered two hybrids about to watch that nothing happened to the mother and child and then she had retreated to her solitary spot and awaited news from either Nik or Elijah. She'd heard nothing yet. Either her brothers would be successful in their endeavors tonight or Elijah and Klaus would take to destroying the entire city. Either possibility worked just fine for Rebekah – she wasn't overly attached to this city or the sentimentality of it all. The blonde could easily pack up her stuff and leave tonight if they had so chosen, but Klaus was less inclined to give up this battle. Not only that but Elijah had promised the witches help in return for Hayley's safety during her pregnancy. It was true, what they said, Elijah _was_ a very moral, true-to-his-word vampire.

A shuffling down the steps caught Rebekah's attention, but it wasn't until one of the hybrids stepped into the room that she averted her eyes from her book. He looked bewildered and Rebekah narrowed her eyes in speculation. "What's wrong?"

"It's the wolf-girl," he said slowly. "Her and the child are gone."

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Elijah hadn't let go of Marcel until one of the upper level vampires tore into Caroline's neck, chewing through it until she was gurgling up blood. After that show, Klaus had sped up the stairs but had been blocked by two of the vampires at the top of the landing. They were both dead now and Caroline had been rushed away. Neither Original brother could shake the smell of her blood as it hit them and Klaus was literally shaking with rage. Marcel grinned at his former mentor and shook his head. "I told you not to make any irrational moves, Klaus," he taunted. "Now. Do we have a deal?"

"I want to see Katerina," Elijah demanded. "Even if we give you the stake, it would be pointless for you to use it. If you stake Niklaus, then your entire bloodline will die along with him."

Marcel knew that. He also knew that there was a way around every brick wall if someone were to look hard enough… "Let me worry about that. You get me the stake, I get you your doppelganger."

"Absolute-"

"We'll discuss it," Elijah interrupted Klaus' soon-to-be snarling of object. "But I have your word, Marcel, that Katerina is alive and she is well?"

Marcel began to realize that the girl was of more use to him alive than she was dead. But, by the looks of things, this realization may have come too late. "She's alive. How long she stays that way depends on you. She's got a fire in her, that much I'll give you big guy. You can see yourselves out."

With that, Marcel moved around a rigid Elijah who still had Marcel's blood on his hand and then Niklaus who's chin was taut and tense that Marcel knew he'd made a point and an impression. "I'll give you a day or so to think about what I've said fellas," the smooth-talking vampire said as he ascended the stairs. "After that, I make no promises on the condition you'll get these girls back in."

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**AUTHOR'S NOTE: **A long chapter, I know. …Don't get used to it. All the reviews have been greatly appreciated!

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**PREVIEW FOR CHAPTER IV – GAMECHANGER **

_It would be just like trading one gilded cage for another. Only this one promised a way of escape. Question was, though, could she hold her end of the bargain?_


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